Automatic battery grid casting machine



May 11, 1937. J wlRTZ 2,079,727

AUTOMATIC BATTERY GRID CASTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1.4, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l May 11, 1937. w|RTz 2,079,727

AUTOMATiC BATTERY GRID CASTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2 SheetsSheet2 game 14M Jbizn hQrCz Patented May 11, 1937- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE AUTOMAHO BATTERY GRID CASTING momm:

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a machine for manufacturing storage batteryplates.

The main object of the invention is to provide a mechanism toautomatically cast storage battery plates and to automatically removethe cast plates from the mold.

Another object of the invention is to produce the plates at acomparatively high speed and of uniform quality.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ingeneral of certain novel details of construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and specifically claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the machine with the mold in a closed position.

Figure 2 is a view of the machine with the mold in an opened position.

Figure 3 is a top view of the machine.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral designates the mold, 2the bed of the machine and 3 the cam to actuate the mold. The moldcomprises two members 4 and 5. The member 4 is stationary while themember 5 is movable. A rod 6 connects the member 5 of the mold to thecam 3. The left end of the rod is en larged as at and fits in a sleeve8. Between the said rod and the face of the member 5 is a compressionspring 9. A roller l0 is attached to the right end of the rod which fitsin the' cam slot Supporting the free end of the rod is a roller l2mounted on the bracket l3.

The cam 3 is journalled on the shaft l4 mounted in the housing l5. Tothe right of the housing is a gear box It containing a set of reductiongears (not shown) for operating the short shaft Slidably keyed to theinward .end of the said shaft is a clutch collar l8 adapted tobemanually operated by the lever l9. Keyed to the adjacent end of theshaft I4 is the clutch 20. Number 2| designates the drive pulley foroperating the gears in the gear box 16, 22 the electric motor and 23 thedriving belt. The motor is fastened to the base 24 supported by the legs25 of the machine.

The stationary member 4 of the mold is supported in a vertical positionby the pins 26. Behind the mold are a set of adjusting screws 21 toregulate the lateral movement of the mold. In front of the molds is anejector plate 28 embedded in which is a set of ejecting pins 29 andpenetrating the movable mold 5. The outward distance between the moldand the plate 28 is regulated by the bolts 30 screwed in the movable(Cl. 22--5'l) are formed in the sides of the mold members for supportingthe said members when they are taken out of the machine. Numeral 35designates a pair of strips attached to the member 5 of the mold forslidably supporting it in the bed 2 of the machine. Underneath the moldis a curved chute 31 made of resilient material on which the finishedplate falls after it leaves the mold. The molds are made hollow and arewater cooled in order to keep the temperature down. Nipples 38 and 39are connected to the molds on which fit the rubber hose 40 and 4|. Thecool water enters either of the hose 40 passes through one part of themold and through the looped hose 4| and thence to the other part of themold and. out to the other hose 40, thus cooling the mold.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

When the clutch is moved tothe left as shown in Figure 2 the cam willstart to revolve move the rod 6 to the left and close the two moldmembers 4 and 5 together. The molten material is then poured into themold and allowed to cool for a short interval of time. The-rod 6 willthen move to the right and separate the mold member 5 from the member 4.At the same time the compression springs 3| between the plates 5 and 28will force the plate 28 to the right until the movement of said plate 28is stopped by the bolt 34 on the left side of the arm 32 when it comesin contact with the rear portion of the bed plate as shown in Figure 2.The plate 5 however keeps on moving toward the plate 28 until asubstantial portion of the pins embedded in the plate 24 slide throughand protrude through the said plate 5 and force the casting outward ofthe plate 5 of the mold so the casting can slide down the chute 31.

The cam is so cut that it opens and closes the mold at each revolutionand holds the mold closed approximately seventy five per cent of therotation. The opening and closing of the mold takes effect on the othertwenty five per cent of the rotation of the cam. Thus the mold is closedat a sufficient interval to allow the molten material to be poured in.The entire operation of the machine is automatic except of course thepouring of the molten metal. The metal is poured in the funnel shapedopening 42.

It will thus be seen that'I have provided a simple and efiicient deviceof the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction ofthe invention without departing from the material principles involved.It is not therefore desired to confine thednvention to the exact formherein shown anddescribed but it is desired toinclude all forms whichcome within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a casting machine of the class described, a bed having spacedhorizontal brackets, a mold mounted on and supported between said spacedbrackets and extending below the surface thereof said bed plate andcomprising two members one of said mold members being movable and theother mold member being stationary, said movable member having lugsfixed to the sides thereof for slidably supporting the same upon saidspaced brackets, a rod for operating said movable member, a movableplate in front of said movable mold member, an arm hinged to saidmovable plate, said arm bent in a U-shaped formation to clear the saidmold, the rear of said arm being opposite a portion of said bed plateand serving as a stop to regulate the extreme movement of said movableplate, an axfiusting bolt at the rear of said arm, means for discharginga molded object from said mold comprising a set of ejecting pinsembedded in said plate and slidingly passing through said movable moldmembers, a set of compression springs interposed between said movablemold member and said \movable plate, said movable plate adapted to moveunder the influence of the pressure of said springsexerted by saidmovable mold member, a

chute for conveying ejected objects away from said mold and a set ofbolts embedded in said movable moldmember and passing through saidmovable plate toregulate the extreme distance between said movable moldmember and movable plate. 4

' JOHN WIRTZ.

